The head of the IAEA, Rafael Grossi. Photo: Global Look Press
On September 1, inspectors of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) were finally able to visit the Zaporozhye NPP, which is being shelled. The visit, which had been discussed for several months, almost failed at the last moment due to the intensification of hostilities in the area of this largest nuclear power plant in Europe. After a quick inspection of the facility, the head of the IAEA, Rafael Grossi, called the situation at the NPP “very difficult” and left without naming who was to blame for it, Kommersant wrote on Friday.
Grossi and 13 IAEA inspectors spent several hours at the Zaporozhye NPP. They were accompanied at the station by representatives of Rosatom.
Having carried out an initial inspection of the facility, Rossi identified the situation around the station as “very difficult”.
“In a couple of hours, we were able to piece together a lot of information. The key things I needed to see, I saw, the explanations were clear,” the publication quotes Raphael Grossi.
The head of the IAEA did not say who caused such a difficult situation at the Zaporozhye NPP, noting only that the physical integrity of the plant was obviously repeatedly violated.
“We all have the same goal – protecting the plant from a nuclear accident… We must do everything possible to find an opportunity and come to an agreement with all parties,” Grossi said.
He noted that the agency still has a lot of work to do, for which five IAEA inspectors will remain on site until September 4–5. They will also communicate with the residents of Energodar. At the same time, Grossi commented that in the future, the permanent presence of agency experts will be organized at the station.
Earlier, the newspaper reminds, the representative of the Russian Federation to international organizations in Vienna (where the headquarters of the IAEA is located), Mikhail Ulyanov, said that Russia only welcomes this.